“Desanka Maksimović” Elementary School in Kosovka Kamenica – an exemplary school
30. September 2025.
The Elementary School “Desanka Maksimović” in Kosovska Kamenica was founded exactly 150 years ago at the initiative of the local villagers during the Ottoman Empire.
On the foundations of the former “Serbian Elementary School,” today stands one of the finest educational institutions in the wider Kosovska Kamenica area.
“A few years ago, this was perhaps the worst school in Kosovo and Metohija. Now it looks as if we received many donations, but in fact, we did not. Everything was achieved through the hard work of teachers, staff, parents, and children,” explains principal Jadranka Vasić.
Talented students regularly win significant awards in national competitions in recitation, Serbian language, and other subjects. Each year, some of them also attend the Petnica Research Center to gain new knowledge in science and technology.
Teachers here invest in their professional development far beyond what is required by law. Eager to learn from the best, they have become an example even to the best.
Even before entrepreneurship and project-based learning were officially introduced, students were already learning through workshops. They create icons, souvenirs, traditional costumes, easels, cook, paint, play music, act, practice calligraphy, wood burning, and preserve their mother tongue.
The school library was equipped thanks to the dedication of the principal, who personally collected and brought books. Today, it is one of the best libraries in the region and is of great importance not only to elementary pupils but also to high school students and university students.
In Kosovska Kamenica, Serbs make up only 6% of the population. The school has more than 200 students, including many from nearby villages. Everyone who visits this magical educational corner says that upon entering, everything feels divided into real and unreal. At the first step, you are greeted by warmth, joy, and heartfelt hospitality. These visits mean a lot, and those who return can see how the school improves and modernizes year after year.
“At the beginning, it was difficult to raise awareness that we are all here for the children and working for them. Now people believe it, they see the results, and we truly have great support from parents and others. I am also happy to be invited often to present examples of our school’s good practices. We want everything we do to be lasting and to inspire others,” adds the principal.
There are also plans to equip classrooms for outdoor lessons at one of the school’s branch departments, reopened after nearly 30 years. Encouraging an active, healthy, and creative lifestyle for children makes this project especially valuable.
Throughout history, the people of this region have nurtured a spirit of freedom rooted in tradition, culture, and Orthodoxy. The very history of “Desanka Maksimović” School testifies to this. For more than a century, its students and teachers have fought heroically with knowledge, smiles, and hard work to preserve their heritage. Even though social and political circumstances may never have been in their favor, for them, there are no limits. As the principal says:
“You must believe, rejoice, and have the will to live otherwise, you cannot be happy, no matter what you have!”
